Surgery Tomorrow 2-6-12 - Aortic graft and replacing BAV with mechanical valve

[TheGymGuy]

Purdue, I've read all your threads. Hope your surgery went well and you are recovering now. Do let us know how are you doing.

 

[Superbob]

I'm late to this thread, too, but wishing you all the best for a smooth recovery.

 

[selma]

Hope all went well! Wishing you a bump-free recovery.

 

[marc_kowal]

Late here as well, I hope everything went smoothly and you're off to a good recovery!

 

[Purdue]

Posted a few notes around the site and wanted to give the very quick report here. Surgery went well. New mechanical valve and aorta graft. Set a record at the hospital...out in three days and slept day and night for about the first month at home. Some people did not fair so well next to me in recovery and I felt for them. I was the only one who did not need to go back in for repairs that morning (group of four) and I'm guessing it was the skill of the surgeon. This site was excellent at researching post op functions so when my bed was soaked from sweat each night, I did not worry much. I did go into shock when the drain tubes were pulled out and we think it was a combination of me watching it and the weird feeling you get when it happens. Pain about like a bee sting so no real massive pain to speak of. Just the weirdest feeling / pressure / pull inside your chest added to the fact my eyes were watching it. Very weird to say the least. Only issue was 103 temps shortly after surgery. Tests confirmed Dressler's Syndrome and I am on meds to clear that up. Pre-surgery issues are gone. Absolutely gone and while I am still healing and limited, I can do more than the weeks leading up to surgery time. Scars healed better than we expected. I think my wife is still scarred from seeing me in ICU hooked to machines with 15 or so tubes coming in and out of me. About five hours on the heart lung machine and at least for me, I feel different now. It's hard to explain but I am not as hyper, I think more clearly, and an area of strength for me (calculations and numbers) is improved. No depression at all and I officially went back to work yesterday.

Thanks so much for reading my posts and for all the well wishes in this process. Born with the BAV but the TAA was caught by accident. Both corrected with minimal issues post op and proof there is someone watching out over me.

 

[Gribur]

congrats to you and continiue to get strong. i am coming up to surgery and the number of guys that had to go back in kinda freaks me out. any idea of why? It seems i have read a few posts of people going back in after surgery, not the best thing to be looking at i guess. Just wondering if age plays a major role or if poor surgeons do??? no idea but Purdue, great work and god bless, enjoy life!